The first college of Bristol University, namely Bristol Medical College, was established in 1833. By 1876, several colleges established successively merged into a whole university, namely Bristol University College, which was granted the Royal Charter in 1909 and renamed Bristol University. Bristol University enjoys a world-renowned reputation for "combining academic excellence and innovation with the spirit of independence and foresight". The current supervisor is Sir Paul Nurse, former chairman of the Royal Society and Nobel Prize winner.
Bristol University has trained 13 Nobel Prize winners and has been at the forefront of global research. Bristol University has established an excellent reputation in social science and legal research and teaching. Alfred marshall, the founder of modern economics, served as the first chairman of economics. The School of Geographical Sciences is one of the major international centers for comprehensive research on environmental systems and humanities in the world. The School of Engineering is known as the "British Engineering Kingdom".